The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-08-18
THE CITIZENS'
IlENsrEnylEw WIN 4 DlnEeron

Upon tho company's Plans for the. Intro.
duction OF Eleetriclty-It Means l,u.i. z
yness-A Proposal to Also Fnrn,sh
Power and Light for the Public.
A reporter Of tho IsTRLLioEscER yes
terdsy fell In with director Of the Citi.
zsns' Railway Company, and desiring to
be informed as to what that company was
doing in the direction Of introducing cleo.
trlcity as a motive power on their road
asked whether the talk OF electricity on
tho line was bona yfae, or merely bluff.
Ho was informed that the company was
never more In earnest about any project
than tho one Of introducing electric power
right away. an, ,i'I as.t 47a@u
"We have road already built" aaid
the director, "and II any company can
promptly and economically uso electricity,
certainly 1t is line already in e1iatence."
"Have you determined on any particu.
lar system 2" II,
"No.g We are investigating the matter
both BY correspondence and a Representa-
tive In the field, and expect to order out
plant with as little delay 80 possible" m
"How extensively do you expect to 20
into the use OF the new power?" ~
1--WE expect to substitute 1t over our
entire limo and its contemplated extension
to Benwood, and Ia addition we may sup.
ply power and light to other people. We
are advised to do this as a measure oil
economy, and 1t looks like good advice.
We have already one bid in from an
electrical company for the necessary dyna.
mos and motors and other machinery,
and We will decide at m early day on the
syatem to be adopted" t1Is}E -
"Do you think there Is room for two
street car companies in Wheeling?" n,
swell, 1t is useless to discusa that quea.
! ton now. Council has chartered new
company and there may be people willing
to put money into the new project. II &c
they will probably acquire valuable ex'
perience, but whether ut a profit or loaf
the future will tell. There certainly is mol
legitimate room for two parallel companiet
in small city, but the Citizens Railway
Company cannot afford 10 die without Z
struggle for existence, and this struRgle
you may be sure they will make to the
utmost Of their ability" 4. h,
Your road seems to have no friends in
Council. They kick you about fear
fully W
"Yes, that is apparently true, and the
came thing will be true Of the new com
pany after while. The trouble with the
new line ia simply the trouble OF all exist
ing institutions; 1t incurs enmity as aoou
as 1t elbows any prosperity. / presume
Everybody will admit that tho old limo Il
a great improvement On ito former sslf
1t has gone to heavy expense 10 make i'm
proyementa and is ss good q line as you
can fud In mary cities larger thai
Wheeling. II carries the people at as low
a faro as any railroad in the country by
giving them five Tickets Tor quarter"
"Are you entirely satisfied that cleo
tricity will be cheaper Tor your company
than horse power?' sG' '
| "We do not certainly know this vet
but We believe by providing ourselves
with q large supply Of power and thus
furnishing power and light to other people
as We are advised to do, We will economic
Oh our present expenses. We can Ger.
tainly hold our own with the parallel line
at any rate" d 2 ;;.. II
swell, then this is case Of the survival
Of the fttest, il It'll" &. i.a
"Aa to that, as / have said to you, it ie
purely defensive struggle on the part Of
the Citizens' Company. They have no
choice in the matter, as Council has put
them IN q corner and seems determined
to give them as little az possible, snd " hat
can they do but resort 10 natures first law
Of sell defense and fight for all there is in
their chances? OF course somebody will
get hurt in such q struggle and it is easy
enough to zee that neither company will
escape without serious wounds, bu,
who will die Of their wounds is q question
yet to be settled. The Citizens Company
have already resolved to put away all
thought Of profit and 20 in for self preser.
walton only. This is the necessity that il
forced Upon us" .,%
Gould you give me any more particu
lar information as to what steps your com
pany is taking?" '.ia,- I. 3
"Well, no; with every desire to be
obliging, I could not. We have decided
nothing definitely, bat We are busy every
day, and think you will sec electric carr
on our line quite as soon as elsewhere in
Wheeling. This is all ! have to say" Z
"To sell power and furnish light your
company will have to have an amended
charter, I presume" 4,
THAT is question cannot reliably
answer"